Find Teaching Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Value Special Education Schools in Pennsylvania

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Pennsylvania

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

53 Colleges
$22,031 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$44,151 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Special Education School for You

In 2020-2021, special education students earned 1,854 degrees and certificates from a Pennsylvania school, making the subject the 3rd in the state.

Today's teaching students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

The Best Value Special Education Schools in Pennsylvania ranking is one of many tools that Teaching Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 53 schools in Pennsylvania to see which ones offered the best value programs for special ed students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Pennsylvania

Check out the special ed programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Special Education Schools

#1

La Salle University

Philadelphia, PA
$33,150 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found La Salle University to be the best value school for special education students who want to pursue a degree in Pennsylvania. La Salle is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at La Salle are $33,150 per year. The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at La Salle take out is $27,000.

Full Special Education at La Salle University Report

#2

Cabrini University

Radnor, PA
$33,845 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cabrini University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the large suburb of Radnor, Cabrini University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Cabrini University undergraduate students pay an average of $33,845 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Cabrini University take out is $27,000.

Full Special Education at Cabrini University Report

$10,423 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at West Chester University of Pennsylvania helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in Pennsylvania. WCUPA is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of West Chester.

WCUPA undergraduate students pay an average of $10,423 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, WCUPA also is in the top 20% of our Best Special Education Schools in Pennsylvania ranking.

Read full report on Special Education at West Chester University of Pennsylvania

#4

University of Scranton

Scranton, PA
$48,462 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at University of Scranton helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in Pennsylvania. University of Scranton is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Scranton.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at University of Scranton are $48,462 a year.

University of Scranton did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Special Education Schools in Pennsylvania list.

Full Special Education at University of Scranton Report

$11,062 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 53 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the fringe town of Kutztown, Kutztown University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Kutztown University are $11,062 a year. The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Kutztown University take out is $27,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $277.

Full Special Education at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Report

#6

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, PA
$10,878 Average Tuition & Fees

Lock Haven University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. LHU is a small public school located in the town of Lock Haven.

LHU undergraduate students pay an average of $10,878 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, special ed majors at LHU accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

Read full report on Special Education at Lock Haven University

$12,256 Average Tuition & Fees

Millersville University of Pennsylvania landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. Located in the large suburb of Millersville, Millersville is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Millersville undergraduate students pay an average of $12,256 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Special Ed majors at Millersville take out an average of $29,750 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $205.

Full Special Education at Millersville University of Pennsylvania Report

#8

Lehigh Carbon Community College

Schnecksville, PA
$8,430 Average Tuition & Fees

Lehigh Carbon Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. LCCC is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Schnecksville.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LCCC are $8,430 per year.

Full Special Education at Lehigh Carbon Community College Report

#9

Wilson College

Chambersburg, PA
$26,200 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, Wilson College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students. Wilson is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Chambersburg.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Wilson are $26,200 per year.

Read More…

$13,394 Average Tuition & Fees

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. Ship is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Shippensburg.

Ship undergraduate students pay an average of $13,394 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Ship take out is $28,000.

Read More…

Best Value Special Education Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Value Special Education Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
New Jersey 799
New York 4,329
Maryland 416
District of Columbia 101
Delaware 165

Special Education is one of 14 different types of teaching programs to choose from.

Special Ed Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 24,497
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 3,111
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 1,789
Elementary Special Education 1,625
Other Special Education & Teaching 1,227
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 1,133
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 655
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 540
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 504
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 415
Education of the Deaf 363
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 226
Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed 222
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs 181
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 134
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities 122
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic & Other Physical Health Impairments 47
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries 1

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 110,226
Educational Administration 46,469
Teacher Education Subject Specific 43,297
General Education 29,810
Curriculum & Instruction 19,832

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to woodleywonderworks.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Teaching Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited education & teaching schools across the U.S.